Arthur report 9/24/16

Hit up the "dead sea" today.  Pool seems a bit low, but not scientifically... that's just me eyeballing it.  Water was 75 and change at 8am and 76 or so by the time we left around 4pm.  Not quite green pea soup, but still Arthur.  TL;DR version of the trip, fishing was pretty slow.  
 
Let's talk:
- Weeds - wow.  I loves me some weedbeds, but they are getting pretty thick.  In fact, we got jammed up in two of them.  Some fish in them, but scattered.
- Engines - 80 horse pushes my 19' boat @30mph, 18 horse maxes around 7.5mph.  Kickers can suck it.  At least it ran good.  
- Bait - the alewives are babies right now.  Well, medium babies.  Like 4" or so.  Big old swarms of them.  
- Kayakers - &*^#@  &*%%@# &*(#@*( of *(&^@#&* who can )(*(#@ *&%@&^  )(#&&^@ and &*^@#(&^*#@*( themselves.  Also, (&*^@*(@
- Launches - not a single idiot or selfish db to be found.  Which is completely crazy on a beautiful late summer Saturday
 
So we motored out under the 422 bridge and stopped in 6 fow to get rigged up.  Launching went fine, but hooking up the kicker steering arm took me a bit of extra effort since I forgot a wrench.  And then pulling out of the launch I realized I didn't have reverse.  Kind of hard to back out without it.  But whatever, we pushed off and just went forward.  As we killed the engine and dropped anchors we heard one of the wing nuts fall off the steering connecting rod.  Yeah, need to fix those as they rattle off far too fast.  At this point I see that the shift lever seems wonky, and changed the capture point of the shift cable.  Boom, reverse!  Every once in a while things go your way.  
 
At that first spot, early morning there were clouds of bait on the lowrance.  Just for grins I threw the new cast net (1.5lb/foot 6' net) and pancaked it.  Figured I might get a bait or two... pulled up a full net.  Hundreds of alewives.  Used them alive, used them dead, used them cut up.  The only thing we caught was a 9" striper that couldn't even swallow the bait.  Also, while alewives are a challenge to keep alive under normal conditions when the water is 75 degrees forget it.  
 
Something I've never seen before in person... we're anchored up so I can log into my work laptop and do an IT fix for someone (on call, yay) and this boat drives past somewhat close to us.  He's going very slow, and at one point hucks something out behind him.  My fishing buddy and I figure it is one of those plastic spot marker deals.  A few minutes later he comes back and drops a second one near the first, then finally he swings back around and anchors parallel to both markers.  Almost immediately they started catching fish, alternating with hanging up on whatever structure they had marked.  Gotta say I was a bit impressed.  
 
That's about it for the day.  Species caught: crappy, perch, bluegill, largemouth, striper, alewives.  One keeper cat and maybe 3 or 4 crappie/perch over 9" hit the box. 
 
 
 
 

I hit the lake too. Didn't get the early start and got maybe 4 hours on the lake. We started on some wood and weeds in shallow, way to warm for that. Cove we started at was 83 degrees. Moved to deeper water and did ok. Fished some structure ranging from 20 fow to 10 fow. We'd get bites on almost every drift, wind had us moving about 1mph. When we anchored, almost nothing? Got two nice channels, a few crappie, perch and a baby wiper too. Enjoyable day on the water, will be much more enjoyable when the temps fall and move the fish in shallow. Had enough bites to keep it interesting, and somehow none were gills???

If it does, I haven't figured it out!  I have heard that they come in shallower to feed, but don't know when or where or what to use...  I'm sure if you can figure out where the alewives will be, you will find out where the wipers are.  The alewives definitely don't do their thing like they do in late spring.
 
Fall bite at Arthur for me is about pan fish.  A few cats and large mouth mixed in.  On occasion a pike or stray wiper will show up (usually small).  The bite is usually pretty good for the smaller fish.  I have caught wipers in early fall, using the same summer time techniques (deeper water trolling/jigging).  I haven't done in a while, as from my understanding, catching them in 80 degree water is a death sentence to them.  I'm guessing it will cool off enough this week to be less stress.  My summer techniques aren't nearly as good as some.  I'm lucky to get 1-2 in 4-5 hours of targeting them, many times getting a skunk.  I find the bite every few minutes the pan fish will give, a bit more entertaining.  I'd rather eat crappie and perch too.
 
If you have the patience, I am sure you can get into some.  

If this week's weather doesn't push them in, the long term forecast looks great.  Can only imagine what the lake was like yesterday with those winds...  Can add about 10-15 mph to the forecasted winds for Portersville, if the winds funnel down some of those valleys.  I'm sure that helps mixing the water and cooling that surface temp faster, especially if they got some of the heavy rains.  If any of you happen to get a surface temp this weekend, please post.  I couldn't believe how warm that cove we were in was, although I am sure it is down about 10-15 degrees from this week alone in the cove, since there is a small creek feeding it.  I am pretty sure my main lake temp reading was the same as Sam mentioned.  Hopefully under 70 this weekend for the main lake, and in the 60s before too long.

CM,
 
 Daylight--- Arthur eve is good in fall. Way up S/R can get swarmed with 'em at times.
 
crappy
 

Good night to stock up on crawlers.
 

I never fish LA only because I dont know much about the coves & spots to start, But would love to start. I live 2 miles from there and i always haul my boat to Pyme or Erie. Can anyone out there help lead mre in the right direction. I am very close to RTe 528 ramps.
Thanks. Fish-ON

 Dave,
 
U should post a photo ov your sons 1st Pike he caught a few weeks back. Hope you get one soon  Tryin' to get my son to take me out on his boat today but he said it's gonna rain. Kids these days 
 
crappy

  Thank you,
 
 I'll be living up Linesville mostly 'till Christmas. I live near Lake Arthur Family Campground.  Mostly waded 80% the 30 plus yrs that lived here. Been fishin' it since the 1st yr. it opened in 69 or 70??  Had a old farmhouse since the early 60's near the lake we used for weekends.  Can't believe you don't fish it. It is a beautiful lake & Oct. is like having your own private fishing waters & the fishing is easiest this time of yr.
 
 Don't have the Internet hooked (so nice) up at Pymy so don't visit here much.
 
 Pork Town might not catch much but he has very good info. on the lake & likes talkin' fishin'.
 
 Best advice is go wet a line close to home & enjoy her beauty.
 
crappy

Hit the lake this morning, launched out of porters cove on the yak, pretty slow morning, only thing hitting were small gills and a few dink perch with one jumbo mixed in, tried getting some large mouth but only managed 1 dink...o well,better luck next time i hope

My 12 year old son got this this evening on the fly. He was pretty pumped, even though he was trying to catch a pike.

rsquared great story and congratulations to your son for his dedication of mastering the fly rod.
 
I had a similar catch on Shenango yesterday, though not in the same fashion and welll I did have some help.
 
 
While sitting in my boat, to my surprise, a bobber goes swimming by....................
 
 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                                              
 
 
 
 
And of course a chase pursued which led to many misses as the bobber would dive under water and pop up elsewhere.  However all ended well as I finally captured the elusive red and yellow floaty object and was able to show the people on shore, why I was making soooooo many circles and going back and forth, leaning over the gunwales.                       
 
 
 

                         
 
 
Unfortunately, as you can see, the fish was hooked deep so I cut the line and set the fish free which did not reappear, to the surface, as a severely injured fish will.  Hopefully it will live to play another day, maybe on a young anglers, fly rod.
 
 
                                 

Hey Zelie I got a red and yellow bobber thingy for sale and I'll throw in some green string for free.  Oh... and some dried-up old fatheads I found under a tackle box that's been sitting on the floor. lol
 
I was hoping to see "The Nymph" zipping around on the reservoir, maybe next time.
 
The docks are still in.....  so far.